App and Window Management

App and Window Management

This skill covers the App tool for launching, arranging, switching, and managing application windows on Windows.

App Tool Actions

The App tool supports these actions: launch, switch, resize, move, minimize, maximize, close.

Launch

Start an application by name or path.

Parameters: action: "launch", plus name (app name) or path (full executable path)

By name (common apps):

App(action="launch", name="Notepad")
App(action="launch", name="Chrome")
App(action="launch", name="File Explorer")
App(action="launch", name="Calculator")

By path (specific executables):

App(action="launch", path="C:\\Program Files\\MyApp\\app.exe")

After launching: Always use Wait(1-3) — applications take time to initialize before they are interactive.

Switch

Bring an existing window to the foreground.

Parameters: action: "switch", name (window title or partial match)

App(action="switch", name="Document.docx - Word")
App(action="switch", name="Chrome")

Tip: Use partial window titles — the tool matches substrings. For precise targeting, include enough of the title to be unique.

Alternative: Shortcut("alt+tab") for quick cycling between the two most recent windows.

Resize

Change window dimensions.

Parameters: action: "resize", name, width, height

App(action="resize", name="Notepad", width=800, height=600)

Move

Reposition a window on the screen.

Parameters: action: "move", name, x, y

App(action="move", name="Notepad", x=100, y=100)

Minimize / Maximize / Close

Parameters: action + name

App(action="minimize", name="Notepad")
App(action="maximize", name="Chrome")
App(action="close", name="Calculator")

Alternative for close: Shortcut("alt+f4") closes the currently focused window.

Common Workflows

Open App and Interact

App(launch "Notepad") -> Wait(2)
Snapshot -> verify Notepad is open and focused
Type(text="Hello World")
Shortcut("ctrl+s") -> Wait(0.5) -> handle save dialog

Side-by-Side Window Layout

App(resize "App1", width=960, height=1080)
App(move "App1", x=0, y=0)
App(resize "App2", width=960, height=1080)
App(move "App2", x=960, y=0)

Alternative: Use Windows Snap shortcuts:

App(switch "App1") -> Shortcut("win+left")
App(switch "App2") -> Shortcut("win+right")

Multi-App Data Transfer

App(switch to source app) -> Wait(0.5)
Select content -> Shortcut("ctrl+c")
App(switch to target app) -> Wait(0.5)
Click(target_field) -> Shortcut("ctrl+v")

Clean Up Desktop

App(minimize "App1")
App(minimize "App2")
App(close "TempApp")

Window Management Best Practices

1. Wait after launch — Always Wait(1-3) after App(launch) before interacting
2. Verify focus — After App(switch), take a Screenshot to confirm the correct window is foreground
3. Use Snap shortcuts — win+left, win+right, win+up (maximize) are reliable for tiling
4. Handle "not found" — If App(switch) fails, the window may have a different title. Use Snapshot to check visible windows or Process(list) to verify the app is running
5. Prefer Shortcut for switch — alt+tab is fast for toggling between two apps
6. Full-screen apps — Some apps (games, media) may not respond to resize/move. Use Shortcut("alt+enter") to toggle full-screen first

Application Launch Reference

Application	Launch Name	Notes
Notepad	Notepad	Built-in text editor
File Explorer	File Explorer or explorer	File browser
Calculator	Calculator	Built-in calculator
Chrome	Chrome	Google Chrome browser
Edge	Edge	Microsoft Edge browser
Firefox	Firefox	Mozilla Firefox browser
Command Prompt	cmd	Use Shell tool instead when possible
PowerShell	PowerShell	Use Shell tool instead when possible
Task Manager	—	Use Shortcut("ctrl+shift+esc")

When to Use App vs. Other Tools

• Need to run a command? -> Use Shell directly, not App to open PowerShell
• Need to open a file? -> Use Shell with Start-Process "file.txt" or App(launch) the associated program
• Need to check if an app is running? -> Use Process(list) instead of visual checks
• Need to switch quickly? -> Shortcut("alt+tab") is faster than App(switch) for recent windows

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For advanced window management patterns and multi-monitor workflows:

• references/workflows.md — Complex multi-window workflows, multi-monitor strategies, and automation patterns